uplifting news stories:

The story of a Latina who regained her sight thanks to what is believed to be a miracle performed by St. Charbel (image left), has awakened interest in the relics of this Lebanese saint being kept at a church in Phoenix, Arizona.Dafne Gutierrez is convinced she was able to see again after she visited the relics at St. Joseph Maronite Catholic Church a year ago. So many people continue to visit the chapel since that it was decided to create a sanctuary in his honor.

The Lebanese pastor of the church, Fr. Wissam Akiki, told EFE that the construction of the sanctuary has already begun and will be shaped like a half-moon, with a large statue of the saint standing at the center.Gutierrez, whose blindness was healed on Jan. 18, 2016, insists that what happened to her was truly a miracle."The doctors can't explain it. At first they thought I was imagining things because I so longed to see, but when they examined me no damage to the optic nerve was to be found," she said. "They were surprised, because according to their diagnosis, I was never going to see again, not even with a cornea transplant," she said.Cristofer Pereyra, director of the Hispanic Office of the Phoenix Diocese, said that Bishop Thomas Olmsted himself spoke with the doctors and checked very carefully the woman’s case.“The bishop went to make sure there was no scientific explanation for the miraculous recovery of Dafne's sight, Pereyra said.Fr. Akiki said that thousands of people now visit the saint's relics for their miraculous powers."Dafne came to confess to me, and I told her to pray and have faith. Then I made the sign of the cross on her forehead and her eyes. And then St. Charbel performed the miracle that would benefit her three children," the priest said.The relics of St. Charbel, whose real name was Youssef Antoun Makhlouf, visited Phoenix between Jan. 15 and Jan. 17, 2016; they have toured various parishes around the country since October 2015.In view of the great devotion of the faithful to this saint, it was decided to leave a fragment of his hand in Phoenix, a city with a large Lebanese community.Gutierrez, who had lived with the Arnold Chiari malformation since age 13, went blind in both eyes several years ago."I remember hearing on the news about a saint who did miracles, but I'd already been to so many churches I wasn't very excited about it. It was my sister-in-law who convinced me," she said.St. Charbel died at age 70 at a Maronite monastery in Lebanon on Christmas Eve, 1898. His body lies in a tomb and was said to remain undecomposed for the greater part of a century.The saint, who has a long history of healing the sick and disabled, even after his death, was beatified on Dec. 5, 1965, and canonized on Oct. 9, 1977, by Pope Paul VI, making him the first Lebanese saint. (Original story)

October 25, 2017Homeless invited for feast after $30,000 US wedding cancelledby bbc.co.ukThe wedding reception of Sarah Cummins, 25, had been booked at the plush Ritz Charles in Carmel, Indiana, and was non-refundable. So she contacted homeless shelters in the area and guests were bussed in for Saturday's 170-seat dinner. Ms Cummins called off the wedding but has not given the reasons. She told the Indy Star: "It was really devastating, I called everyone, cancelled, apologised, cried, called vendors, cried some more and then I started feeling really sick about just throwing away all the food I ordered for the reception." She had been due to marry Logan Araujo, who had footed the largest part of the bill. Ms Cummins said her ex-fiance, whose mother died recently, had agreed to the solution. Mr Araujo told the Indy Star: "I'm happy through my grief and also Sarah's that she was able to make a selfless and very thoughtful decision in such a hard time." Ms Cummins worked with the Ritz Charles' wedding planner on the event and then contacted homeless shelters, arranging for buses to pick up the new guests. Local business helped to donate suits and dresses for the reception, Associated Press reported. The agency quoted one of the attendees, Charlie Allen, as saying: "I didn't have a sport coat. I think I look pretty nice in it. For a lot of us, this is a good time to show us what we can have. Or to remind us what we had." Some of Ms Cummins' family joined her at the event, along with three bridesmaids. The menu included chicken breast with artichokes and Chardonnay cream sauce, roasted garlic bruschetta and, of course, wedding cake. Ms Cummins was scheduled to leave for what was supposed to have been her honeymoon - taking her mother instead of Mr Araujo - in the Dominican Republic.